TODAY we pay tribute to our teams of mountain rescuers in North Wales who, year in, year out, save the lives of countless climbers.

In Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue’s annual report it becomes apparent that not only do rescuers give their time for free, they also pay out of their own pockets to drive to call-outs.

Last year the service went out to 133 incidents involving an average of 15 team members each time from a total pool of 46. That works out to a bill for fuel and wear and tear to personal cars of some £300 per team member over 12 months.

And that’s on top of the most precious commitment of all – their free time and the personal risk they must shoulder.

Here we have a group of selfless people who do so much for others for no financial reward and then don’t even claim expenses for personal costs incurred.

Compare that to the attitude of those who govern us – paid handsomely for their work and insistent on claiming lucrative expenses at every turn, whether merited or not.

What a pity the fine men and women who put their own lives on hold to rescue idiots from the top of mountains can’t be sent to Westminster to rescue Parliament from sinking any further in public esteem and, while there, sort out an economy driven to its knees by another group of greedy people.

We should never forget that every penny mountain rescuers spend on the equipment they need to do their jobs comes from charitable donations. And clearly, those donations are not even dipped into to pay perfectly reasonable expenses.

The least the rest of us can do is say thank you by putting our hands in our pockets once in a while – particularly those of us who have personal cause to be grateful. On that note, the biggest favour some amateur climbers could do would be to show a great deal more common sense, go properly prepared and only attempt climbs within their capabilities.

The number of call-outs soared last year from 81 to 133 and it is clear from Ogwen Valley’s report that a great many could so easily have been avoided. It’s high time climbers thought a little more, not only about their own skins but also the toll their actions take on others.